A Gombe High Court has slammed a two-year, six-month prison sentence on a serving magistrate, Mohammad Suleiman Kumo, in a corruption case that has sent shockwaves through the state’s judiciary.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice H.H. Kereng found Kumo guilty of bribery, ruling that the offence struck at the very heart of justice delivery. The court also handed him an option of ₦250,000 fine and ordered him to pay ₦500,000 as compensation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the cost of investigation and prosecution.
Kumo, who served at the Chief Magistrate Court in Pantami, was initially arraigned on December 3, 2025, on a three-count charge by the EFCC’s Gombe Zonal Directorate. He had pleaded not guilty and even challenged the court’s jurisdiction, insisting that as a judicial officer, only the Judicial Service Commission could try him.
But the prosecution, led by A. Aliyu, successfully argued otherwise, with the court affirming in February 2026 that Kumo, as a magistrate, could be tried under the law.
The tide turned dramatically on May 5, 2026, when the embattled magistrate reversed his stance and pleaded guilty after the charges were re-read to him.
One of the charges revealed that Kumo received ₦1 million through a Zenith Bank account linked to a court registrar in November 2024—an act deemed a clear violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In his ruling, Justice Kereng подчеркed the gravity of the offence, stressing that corruption within the judiciary undermines public trust. He upheld the prosecution’s request for compensation, describing the ₦500,000 sum as justified.
Kumo’s downfall began after petitions from aggrieved individuals triggered an investigation by the Gombe State Ministry of Justice, culminating in his conviction and immediate remand to a correctional facility.
The case marks yet another high-profile conviction in Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, reinforcing the message that no office is immune from the long arm of the law.
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